Granted Patent B1

US 8,381,020 · App. 12/657,658 · Granted Feb 19, 2013

Abstract

Claims (39)

1. A computer implemented method to facilitate control interface failover in a removable media storage device, comprising:

coupling a media changer device to a plurality of removable media storage drives, where each removable media storage drive comprises a first port having a first port name;

assigning a second port name to either the first port or to a second port of a first removable media storage drive in the plurality of removable media storage drives, where the second port name comprises at least a portion of portable identity data; and

preserving the portable identity data to be utilized during a control interface failover process to transfer the second port name from the first removable media storage drive to a second removable media storage drive in the plurality of removable media storage drives.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating storage system commands from a host computer to the media changer device using the second port name and communicating other information to the first removable media storage drive using the first port name.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising, in response to a system failure that disrupts storage system command communications, migrating the media changer device to another removable media storage drive using the portable identity data, wherein the host computer communicates with the media changer device through a first or second port of the second removable media storage device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein migrating the media changer device further comprises:

releasing the media changer device from the first removable media storage device;

bridging the media changer device to the second removable media storage device; and

configuring, using the portable identity data, the first port or second port to be a target port for the host computer to communicate with the media changer device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein, if the first port is the target port, configuring the first port further comprises:

adding a virtual port to a physical port using N_Port ID Virtualization; and

assigning the second port name to the virtual port.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising communicating the portable identity data to the second removable media storage device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning further comprises, if the first port is assigned the second port name, creating a virtual port to enable the first port to be assigned both the first port name and the second port name.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein preserving the portable identity data further comprises storing the portable identity data in persistent memory, wherein the portable identity data is to be used to migrate the media changer device to the second removable media storage drive during a control interface failover process.

9. A computer-readable-storage device comprising one or more processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

coupling a media changer device to a plurality of removable media storage drives, where each removable media storage drive comprises a first port having a first port name;

assigning a second port name to either the first port or to a second port of a first removable media storage drive in the plurality of removable media storage drives, where the second port name comprises at least a portion of portable identity data; and

preserving the portable identity data to be utilized during a control interface failover process to transfer the second port name from the first removable media storage drive to a second removable media storage drive in the plurality of removable media storage drives.

10. The computer-readable-storage device of claim 9 further comprising one or more processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the method further comprising, in response to a system failure that disrupts storage system command communications, migrating the media changer device to another removable media storage drive using the portable identity data, wherein a host computer communicates with the media changer device through a first or second port of the second removable media storage device.

11. The computer-readable-storage device of claim 10 further comprising one or more processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the method, wherein migrating the media changer device further comprises:

releasing the media changer device from the first removable media storage device;

bridging the media changer device to the second removable media storage device; and

configuring, using the portable identity data, the first port or second port to be a target port for the host computer to communicate with the media changer device.

12. The computer-readable-storage device of claim 11 further comprising one or more processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the method, wherein, if the first port is the target port, configuring the first port further comprises:

adding a virtual port to a physical port using N_Port ID Virtualization; and assigning the second port name to the virtual port.

13. The computer-readable-storage device of claim 9 further comprising one or more processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the method further comprising communicating the portable identity data to the second removable media storage device.

14. The computer-readable-storage device of claim 9 further comprising one or more processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the method, wherein assigning further comprises, if the first port is assigned the second port name, creating a virtual port to enable the first port to be assigned both the first port name and the second port name.

15. The computer-readable-storage device of claim 9 further comprising one or more processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the method, wherein preserving the portable identity data further comprises storing the portable identity data in persistent memory, wherein the portable identity data is to be used to migrate the media changer device to the second removable media storage drive during a control interface failover process.

16. An apparatus for storing data, comprising:

a first removable media storage drive comprising a first port having a first port name;

a second removable media storage drive comprising a second port having a second port name;

a controller, coupled to the first removable media storage drive and the second removable media storage drive, for managing operation of the first removable media storage drive and the second removable media storage drive;

a media changer device, defined by the controller, for controlling the first removable media storage drive and the second removable media storage drive, where the media changer device assigns a third port name to either the first port or to another port of the first removable media storage drive, where the third port name comprises at least a portion of portable identity data, and preserving the portable identity data to be utilized during a control interface failover process to transfer the third port name from the first removable media storage drive to the second removable media storage drive.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the first port name and second port name are used for respectively communicating information from a host computer to the first removable media storage drive and the second removable media storage drive, and the third port name is used for communicating storage system commands from a host computer to the media changer device.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the controller virtualizes the first port to enable the first port name and the third port name to share the same port.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the controller virtualizes the first port using N_Port ID Virtualization.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising persistent memory for storing the portable identity data.

Assignments (13)